


i couldnt utter my love when it counted

by hauntedsapphic



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018), Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, M/M, RiverClan (Warriors), Secret Relationship, ShadowClan (Warriors), ThunderClan (Warriors), Useless Lesbians, WindClan (Warriors)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:49:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24774913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hauntedsapphic/pseuds/hauntedsapphic
Summary: The Horde are a group of rogues intent on taking over the Whispering Woods- clan territory. Adora, a rogue raised in the Horde may be the key to uniting the clans and defeating the Horde- but how? And where does Catra, her best friend, raised alongside her in the Horde, fit into all this?
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Netossa/Spinnerella (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. trespassers

**Author's Note:**

> hi! so, this is my first fic and as u can all tell, its a warrior cats au. obviously this means a lot of the names are going to be changed.  
> ill be introducing the clan cats next chapter so ill be posting a guide of whos who in the notes. ill probably put the list of thunderclan cats in the notes of the next chapter like in the beginning of each warriors book.

_'"Adora..."_

_"Adora..."_

_"_ Adora!"

Catra's voice broke Adora from the haze of her dream, a welcome disturbance to her fitful sleep. Blinking her eyes open, she saw Catra sat on the edge of her nest, a mouse at her feet. Yawning, Adora lifted her head from her paws, eyeing the mouse in hunger.

"Wake up, dummy, we have to go. Shadow Weaver's organising that patrol to scout further into clan territory today, remember?" Catra rolled the mouse towards Adora as she spoke, urging her to eat. The patrol, right. Adora had forgotten. Not that she would be telling Catra that.

"The patrol, yeah... you think Shadow Weaver's gonna pick us? It'd be great to finally see what the Whispering Woods are like, don't you think?"

Catra flicked her ears in response, gesturing to the mouse again with her paw. "We won't know if we're not there, will we? Now _eat_ and let's go."

Sighing, Adora stretched and sat back on her haunches. Shadow Weaver wouldn't be announcing the patrol until Sunhigh, which, a quick glance at the sky told her wasfar sooner than she expected. How long had she been asleep? She devoured the mouse, offering some to Catra, who shook her head.

"While you were busy becoming a dormouse, I was taking first pick of the fresh-kill pile."

Adora scoffed and stalked past Catra, heading for the Hazel Branch above Hordak's den, from which Shadow Weaver would announce the patrol. A few cats had gathered there already, tails waving back and forth in anticipation. Adora took a seat beneath the Hazel Branch, close enough that she could see the grooves in the wood from Shadow Weaver's claws.

Catra walked up, taking a seat beside her, brushing her tail playfully over Adora's nose. Adora batted her tail away, nudging Catra's shoulder with her own. "So, Shadow Weaver's totally gonna pick us, right? Just imagine- we can finally see what's outside the Fright Zone! We can finally show those Clan cats who's boss!"

Catra laughed, pouncing on Adora and knocking her into the dirt, "no way those Clan cats could take us, we are so gonna take them down!"

Adora laughed. The weight of Catra's paws on her chest was comfortably familiar. They sparred together often. Maybe... more often than the rest of their teammates. Looking at Catra perched above her, the gleam in her mismatched eyes as she laughed, Adora couldn't pretend she didn't feel the tightness in her chest.

"Catra! Get off the ground this instance!"

Shadow Weaver's voice broke them out of their stupor, and Catra immediately threw herself off Adora, fur bristling. Adora pushed herself up into a sitting position, glancing up to where Shadow Weaver sat.

Shadow Weaver glared down at them from her perch on the Hazel Branch. "Stop acting like kits! This is not the time for your insolence," she hissed.

Catra backed down, ears flat to her skull. Adora stepped forward, shielding Catra from view, "sorry, Shadow Weaver."

Shadow Weaver stared at them for a moment, before turning her scarred face to the rest of the cats in the clearing. "As you all know, I have requested you gather here today for the announcement of the patrol Hordak requested be sent to scout further into clan territory. With the divide between the clans, this is the perfect opportunity for us to take more territory from the clans. Adora, you will be the one to lead the patrol."

Adora glanced at Catra. She would be coming too, right? Shadow Weaver couldn't separate them for something as important as this.

Shadow Weaver continued, "Adora will lead the patrol across the Thunderpath and into Thunderclan territory- the Whispering Woods. Stay away from the Clan camp, as the area is rampant with Clan cats. Once you have determined which areas are the least patrolled, return and give me your report at once. You will leave at Moonhigh, when you are least likely to be detected. Joining you on this patrol will be Lonnie, Kyle, Rogelio..."

Adora tensed for a moment, watching Shadow Weaver's gaze sweep over them.

"...and Catra."

Relaxing, Adora turned to Catra in excitement, before remembering Shadow Weaver's earlier reprimand. Turning back around, she saw Shadow Weaver leap from the branch and stride towards them.

She felt Catra tense beside her, and smoothed her tail down Catra's back in an attempt to calm her.

Shadow Weaver came to a stop in front of them, hackles raised. "You two must take this mission _seriously_. This is not the time for you to act like kits. One more embarrassing display like this, Catra and I will reassign you to a new patrol. And Adora, I expect better than this from you, this behaviour is unacceptable."

Shadow Weaver narrowed her eyes. "I will say this once and only once. Do not let me catch you behaving like this again. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Shadow Weaver." Adora's tail drooped.

Catra flicked her ears, but remained silent. Shadow Weaver focused her glare on Catra. "Do not make me repeat myself," she snarled.

"…yes, Shadow Weaver."

Shadow Weaver stared for a moment, before turning on her tail and stalking away. Releasing a sigh of relief, Adora turned to Catra. She was staring at the ground, shuffling her paws.

"Hey," Adora said quietly. She walked over, nudging Catra's shoulder with her own, "don't worry about her. Soon, we're gonna be the ones ruling this place, right, Catra?"

Catra raised her head and laughed, "yeah, Hordak and Shadow Weaver won't even know what hit them, they'll just wake up one day and realise we're in charge."

Laughing, Adora urged Catra towards the den. They'd have to be well rested for the patrol that night.

"Last one to the den is crowfood!"

. . . . . . .

The patrol set off at Moonhigh, led by Adora. Rogelio, a large tortoiseshell cat, held up the rear. They were travelling from ShadowClan territory, which had been taken by the Horde many seasons ago.

Soon, they passed the scent markers that signified they had entered Thunderclan territory. Turning to face the rest of the patrol, Adora said, "once we've reached the Thunderpath, we follow it until we've reached an abandoned Twoleg nest. From there, we have to head east in order to avoid the Thunderclan camp, which lies south of the Twoleg nest. Any questions?"

The patrol remained silent, until Catra sauntered up beside her, nose twitching in amusement. "So, Adora, looks like you've got this whole thing handled. You sure you need us tenderfoots to help?"

Scoffing, Adora retorted, "what's wrong Catra? Scared?"

Catra's flur fluffed up in indignation. "I'll show you scared!" She cried, leaping at Adora. Adora laughed as she was knocked back into the dirt for the second time. It was a regular occurrence for them to be sprawled out in the dirt throughout the day.

"Guys," Lonnie said wearily, "can you do this some other time? I for one would like to get this done as soon as possible so I can get back to my nest and sleep."

Adora pushed Catra off sheepishly. Lonnie was right. This was a serious mission. No time for joking around. Plus, she was kind of missing the comfort of her nest right now...

Despite having spent the better part of her day in it.

They pushed on ahead until they reached the Thunderpath, the acrid stench meeting them before it came into view from between the trees. It was devoid of any Monsters- not that she expected there to be any. Twolegs usually only came to the Lake in Greenleaf, and not to mention the Monsters tended to only travel the Thunderpath during the day.

Still, they watched carefully for any incoming Monsters as they crossed to the other side, soft paws padding across the harsh surface of the Thunderpath.

"This place gives me the creeps," said Kyle.

"Shut up, Kyle." Adora wasn't sure who said it- it sounded like it came from all of them at once. Not that it mattered, they were all thinking it anyway.

They followed the Thunderpath together, the Whispering Woods looming ominously to their right. Adora's mind wandered as they walked. She had never been this close to the Whispering Woods before. She wasn't sure she had ever seen a real Clan cat either- aside from the occasional prisoner brought in by patrols. Not that she had ever been allowed near them. None of the tenderfoots were. Prisoners were dealt with by Shadow Weaver or, on rare occasion, Hordak himself.

The sight of the abandoned Twoleg nest shook Adora out of her reverie. She signalled with her tail for the rest of the patrol to stop.

"We have to be more cautious from here. The Thunderclan camp is just south of here, and we're upwind. We stick together and head east. If we get caught here the Clan cats have every advantage, we don't know the Whispering Woods like they do. So no splitting up, and no diverging from the group, understood?"

They all nodded in agreement. Adora led the patrol into the Woods quickly. She would never admit it- especially not to Catra- but the abandoned Twoleg nest was making her nervous. The Woods were eerily silent, the only sound the crackling of the leaves as they padded across the forest floor. No one spoke as they traipsed through.

Adora could smell the scent markers slowly getting weaker. She was conscious of the moon's place in the sky. They couldn't spend too long in these woods. The Dawn Patrols would be sent out soon- the moon was half way down the sky already.

Suddenly, Adora realised the trees were beginning to thin out. She pressed forward curiously. She came upon a narrow stone path, dimpled with pawprints that must have been made seasons ago, by cats long gone from these woods. Beyond lay a small pool, behind which was a steep cliff, a cleft in the rock feeding water into the pool. Adora turned around in confusion.

"Catra, are you seeing-,"

She was greeted by a distinct lack of Catra- or the rest of the patrol.

"Guys? Where did everyone go...?"

She turned back to the path, debating whether to follow it or not. She really should go back and look for the others... but... something about the pool was... calling to her. She followed the path hesitantly, fitting her paws into the ancient pawprints dotting the stone. As she approached the pool, she realised she could see the moon reflected in the water's crystalline surface.

Unsure of what was spurring her to do so, she bent her head and lapped from the pool, the water cool and refreshing on her tongue. Abruptly a wave of exhaustion hit her, making her tail droop and eyelids feel heavy. Settling herself down on the stone floor, she rested her head on her paws and shut her eyes. Maybe if she just... lay down for a moment...

As she drifted off, Adora swore she could hear a voice calling out to her.

" _Adora_..."


	2. light hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, heres a list of thunderclan warriors (for now). a lot of them are just oc's bc i did look up citizens of bright moon, and found out that most are just listed as "bright moon guard" instead of having actual names. so, i just made some up!
> 
> thunderclan  
> leader  
> angella- moonstar (slender blue grey she-cat)
> 
> deputy  
> glimmer- glimmerpelt (small lilac she-cat)
> 
> medicine cat  
> castaspella- cloudfern (black and white she-cat)  
> perfuma- petalsong (long legged tabby she-cat)
> 
> warriors  
> netossa- nettlefang (dark brown she-cat with silver tinged muzzle and ears)  
> apprentice: fernpaw 
> 
> Thistlestorm (long haired tortoiseshell she-cat)  
> apprentice: volepaw
> 
> smokeleaf (small grey tomcat)  
> apprentice: willowpaw
> 
> honeythorn (white and golden she-cat)  
> apprentice: robinpaw
> 
> bramblefeather (brown speckled she-cat)
> 
> cedarpelt (long haired tabby tom)
> 
> dawnheart (slender black she-cat)
> 
> goldenstripe (golden brown she-cat)
> 
> apprentices  
> fernpaw (tuxedo patterned she-cat with white belly and throat)  
> volepaw (salt and pepper tomcat)  
> willowpaw (slender white she-cat)  
> robinpaw (sleek black she-cat)
> 
> queens:  
> mistyflower (longhaired brown she-cat)  
> blossomfire (long legged white she-cat)  
> clovertail (dappled grey she-cat)  
> crowflower (small black she-cat)
> 
> elders:  
> spottedfeather (mottled dark brown tom)  
> thrushnose (cinnamon coloured she-cat)  
> smallfoot (speckled brown tom)
> 
> i hope you enjoy this chapter, also if you notice certain people misssing who you wouldve thought would be in thunderclan,, well, i havent forgotten them, dont worry :))))

_Adora opened her eyes to find herself no longer on the cool stone floor of the hollow. Instead, she was lying on a bed of soft moss, in the greenest forest she had ever seen. The sky was hidden by a thick canopy of leaves, sunlight filtering down in beams upon the forest floor. Unlike the Whispering Woods, this forest felt... alive. Pricking her ears, she could hear the chirping of birds and rustling of mice as they scurried through the underbrush. Pushing herself to her feet, Adora looked around. This place felt strange. The forest was too bright, too... full of life._

_"Adora."_

_Spinning around, Adora came face to face with a dark haired cat. Her fur was a deep midnight blue, almost black. Adora thought the stars would have looked at home nestled throughout her fur. Taking a closer look Adora realised the cat's fur was almost glowing, the strange light appearing as though she really did have stars dotted throughout her fur. Frost glittered in the light of her eyes, making them shine like stars._

_The strange cat took a step towards her, and Adora instinctively stepped back._

_"Do not be afraid, Adora," the cat said, "my name is Light Hope. I have been attempting to make contact with you for many moons now, but with the connection finally forged, you will be much easier to reach."_

_"How do you know my name?" Adora demanded. " And where am I? How did I get here?"_

_"You are in Starclan. The water you drank is from a place called the Moonpool. It allows Medicine Cats to walk with Starclan in their dreams, much like you are doing now. Although, now that the connection has been forged, you no longer need to drink from the Moonpool to walk with Starclan. Your physical body is still by the Moonpool. You are only in this world spiritually."_

_Adora couldn't believe what she was hearing. This had to be some- farfetched dream, right? She had heard of Starclan before, from Shadow Weaver's teachings. Starclan was believed to be where the spirits of clan cats went after they died, an eternal hunting ground for them to roam in peace. Shadow Weaver had explained that it was all nonsense of course- but could Adora really be so sure? This dream, it, it felt real to her. The scents of the forest, the soft brush of pine needles under her feet. But if the stories were true, if Starclan really existed, what could they possibly want with Adora?_

_Voicing her thoughts, Adora asked, "what does Starclan want with me? And what do you mean "the connection has been forged"? What connection?"_

_Light Hope did not answer. Instead, she turned and began walking through the forest, away from Adora. Confused, Adora hurried after her, desperate for answers. She followed Light Hope through the underbrush, the mystical cat walking so fast that Adora was convinced she was about to lose her every time she disappeared behind a tree or bush. She was so focused on keeping her eyes on the cat ahead, it wasn't until she looked down that she realised Light Hope was leaving starry pawprints behind her as she walked._

_Ahead, Light Hope darted between a thick scattering of sycamores, and Adora rushed after her, skidding to a halt when she saw Light Hope had halted in front of a large lake, her eyes transfixed on the glistening water._

_Adora padded up beside her, casting her gaze upon the water, where she saw the reflections of herself and Light Hope staring back at her. Light Hope spoke quietly, breaking the tender silence between them. "I have waited many seasons for this day, Adora. The day we could finally meet, and I could inform you of your destiny."_

_Destiny? This had to be a dream- Adora didn't have- didn't_ want _\- a destiny._

_"Long ago, I delivered a prophecy. A prophecy about you, Adora. It is your destiny to unite the clans, and save them from the evil of the Horde."_

_Adora's fur fluffed out in indignation. "The Horde isn't evil! All we're doing is trying to save the clans from themselves. What makes you think this prophecy is about me, anyway? I don't care what this prophecy says, you've got the wrong cat."_

_Light Hope turned away from the water, focusing her gaze on Adora. Opening her mouth to protest again, Adora was cut off._

_"When the future of the clans is at peril,_

_the divide will be healed,_

_and the shadows driven out,_

_by one who appears as an enemy,_

_but shall be descended from the Stars."_

_"Is that the prophecy? How is that about me? It- it doesn't even make any sense! What does it mean, "descended from the stars"? That has nothing to do with me!" Adora asked the questions rapidly. Hearing the prophecy had only served to make her more confused. Her panic only grew when she realised the forest was fading around her, her surroundings becoming transparent in front of her very eyes._

_Light Hope bowed her head, and gave only a few cryptic words before she, too, began to fade._

_"All will become clear soon, Adora."_

_. . . . . ._

Gasping, Adora jerked awake, stumbling frantically to her feet. How long had she been asleep? Searching the sky, the moon's place told her it would not be long before sunrise. She strode swiftly out of the hollow, sparing only a quick glance back at the pool- Moonpool- as Light Hope had called it. Scoffing to herself, she continued her trek back into the Whispering Woods. Light Hope had been nothing more than a figment of her imagination, a dream that she had gotten a little too swept up in.

Looking around, she didn't recognise this part of the woods at all. This was bad- she had to find Catra, she had to find the rest of the patrol. She couldn't even fathom how they had gotten separated in the first place. They had been right behind her and then, just a heartbeat later, they were gone. After she had been the one preaching about not separating from the rest of the patrol, she had gone and gotten herself separated. Not just separated- lost.

Adora didn't have a single clue where she was. This territory, even this terrain, it was all unfamiliar to her. She had been heading east from the Twoleg den... did that mean she should head west? Or had she gotten completely turned around? She began walking in the direction she hoped the Thunderpath was in. Hopefully the rest of the patrol had headed there when they realised she was missing. They probably should have discussed somewhere to regroup should something like this have happened. Well, Adora mused, at least she would know to plan more carefully next time.

Adora continued on through the forest, diverting her path slightly every time the scent markers from Thunderclan patrols began getting stronger. As the Thunderclan scents began to weaken, Adora realised she wasn't picking up the scent of any other clans, which could mean one of two things. One, that this was a mostly unpatrolled area of the Whispering Woods, meaning it would be easy for her to slip through unnoticed- and report back to the Horde. Or two, she was heading away from clan territory altogether. She really hoped it was one.

Adora froze when she heard voices ahead. Pricking her ears, she crept closer, attempting to get a closer vantage point. It wasn't sunrise yet, no way it could be a Dawn Patrol. Perhaps it was her own patrol, just as lost as she was? Padding gently through the underbrush, she headed closer to the voices. As she drew closer, and the voices grew louder, she realised they were arguing. Over what, she couldn't quite tell, but it gave her hope. It was probably Catra, fighting with Lonnie over whether to return to camp and tell Shadow Weaver that they had lost Adora, or continue searching for her.

No doubt Catra was desperate to continue searching, both to find Adora, and to avoid having to tell Shadow Weaver that their first mission had gone wrong. Laughing, Adora ran out from behind the bushes she was crouched behind, eager to placate Catra's worrying, and to head back to the Fright zone. She longed for the comfort of her nest, the soft pile of leaves she often shared with Catra in the tenderfoot den.

She stopped laughing when she realised that it was not her patrol at all. She had emerged into a small grove, hidden from prying eyes by bramble thickets and trees. Right in the centre, was a small lilac she-cat, locked in what looked like a fighting stance with a larger brown tom. Thunderclan cats. They all froze, staring at each other in shock.

Yowling, the lilac she-cat leapt at her with a cry of, "Horde warrior!"

Adora threw herself out of the way, watching the cat go skidding along the forest floor. Suddenly, she was knocked to the forest floor, the brown tom on top of her. Hissing, she unsheathed her claws and swiped at him. He flinched back, giving her leverage to throw him off. Scrambling to her feet in time to deflect a blow from the she-cat. She screeched when she felt the pierce of claws along her spine, the weight of a cat on top of forcing her to the ground.

She struggled to throw them off, but failed. It must have been the tom then. She could see the she-cat on the edge of her vision, and the tom had been much larger than both her and the other she-cat.

"What are you doing here? How did you find this place?" The she-cat hissed, stalking her way in front of Adora. Adora struggled beneath the tom's weight, but it was futile. He was heavy, much heavier than she thought warriors would be.

"How did you get here?" The she-cat asked again, "are there more of you? Tell me!"

Adora realised struggling was useless here. She was outnumbered, not just by theses two, but by every cat in these woods. There could be more Thunderclan warriors behind every tree, and Adora wouldn't have a clue. Although, she found it strange that these two were out so late, seemingly by themselves. The she-cat was Thunderclan, Adora could smell it off her from here, but the tom... his scent was different. Unfamiliar. He didn't belong here.

She was prompted to speak when the she-cat took a threatening step forward.

"Listen I don't know how I got here, okay! One second I knew exactly where I was, the next my patrol had disappeared and I was by this creepy pool in a stone hollow talking to a ghost cat!" Adora's voice had taken on a slightly hysterical edge near the end. 

She saw the she-cat's eyes flick up, presumably making eye contact with the tom still pressing her into the dirt. "You walked with Starclan?" She asked.

Rolling her eyes, Adora said, "of course I didn't "walk with Starclan"! That's just a myth! The Moonpool was just-,"

"If you didn't walk with Starclan then who told you it was called the Moonpool?" The she-cat challenged.

Adora couldn't answer that.

"Bow, can you help me bring her back to camp? As far as the thorn tunnel, if we hurry we can be back before sunrise, and you can get back before the Dawn Patrol catches you." The she-cat spoke quietly, which Adora didn't see the point in, since the cat she was speaking to was literally right on top of her. She would have to be deaf to not hear what she was saying.

She felt the tom- Bow- shift uneasily before he replied, "are you sure? I mean, what if they catch my scent outside the tunnel? You'd be in a lot of trouble if we got caught, Glimmerfur. Maybe we should just... let her go...?"

Adora repressed a snicker. Glimmerfur? Oh, Catra would never shut up about that one when she told her about it.

"Bow!" Glimmerfur exclaimed, "we can't just _let her go_. Outsiders have never communed with Starclan before. We need to take her back to camp."

Glimmerfur looked at Adora.

"We have to take her to Moonstar."


	3. not yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora disappears, and Catra is left to deal with the aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont know how long its been since i updated and i also don't want to know :)))) anyway here's a catra pov <3333

The Whispering Woods were eerily silent as the patrol passed through, the pale light of the moon illuminating their path. Catra followed closely behind Adora, treading softly on the leaves littering the forest floor, ears pricked and alert for any indication that they were being watched. They traipsed in silence behind Adora. The moonlight reflecting off Adora's golden fur gave the illusion that she was almost glowing.

_Wait-_ Catra realised Adora _was_ actually glowing.

"Adora?" She called, stepping forward tentatively. The glow was getting brighter. Adora showed no sign that she could hear them, she just kept walking. Faster. Alarmed, Catra sped up. Adora was fast- but Catra had always been faster.

"What's going on?" Lonnie's voice came from behind them. Catra didn't answer, quick in pursuit of Adora.

Ahead, Adora darted behind a tree, and Catra noticed the glow beginning to wane. Speeding up, Catra ran behind the tree, only to halt in her tracks. Adora had vanished.

"Adora?" Catra called again, "Adora this isn't funny! Where'd you go? Adora!" Her voice was becoming frantic, almost trembling with trepidation. This was bad. If Adora was lost in clan territory, this was very bad.

"What happened? Where's Adora?" Catra turned to see Lonnie and the rest of the patrol had caught up with them- her. With her. Catra shook her head.

"I don't know! Adora ran behind this tree and now she's just gone. You saw her... glowing... right?" Catra asked.

Kyle and Rogelio shook their heads, Lonnie speaking up, "no? We were keeping watch in case of an ambush or another patrol. Next thing we knew, you and Adora were just running off! Catra, this is bad. If we can't find Adora soon, we're gonna have to go back without her. Shadow Weaver's gonna be pissed!"

Catra's blood went cold. Shadow Weaver would _kill_ her if they returned without Adora. They needed a plan. Adora had to be somewhere in the forest, and if they didn't find her, she would more than likely be captured by clan warriors- especially all by herself.

"Okay," Catra said carefully, "we search the woods until the moon goes past the crest of the trees. Then we head back to the Thunderpath, and if Adora doesn't find us by Sunrise... we head back to the Fright Zone without her. There, we can get together a patrol to get her back or- or launch an attack on Thunderclan camp to find out where she is. No doubt Shadow Weaver will send out every tenderfoot in camp to find Adora."

Lonnie scoffed. "Who put you in charge?"

"Do you have a better plan?" Catra snarled.

Lonnie backed down, ears pressed flat to her skull. She looked away, staring at the ground.

"Fine. We still have time to look before we have to head back to the Thunderpath."

. . . . . . .

Catra stood at the edge of the Thunderpath, the acrid smell making its way into the back of her throat, choking her. Her eyes searched desperately along the treeline of the Whispering Woods, hoping for a glimpse of Adora's familiar golden fur.

"Catra."

"No." Catra turned to find herself face to face with Lonnie. "No, the sun's not up, there's still time-,"

"Catra, look." Lonnie gestured with her tail, and Catra's gaze followed to where she was pointing, at the sun that was just peeking over the top of the horizon. Her stomach tied itself into a knot while she stood, staring at the light streaking across the dark stretch of sky. It was beautiful, but how could Catra admire the sight that was practically condemning her best friends fate, leaving her to the mercy the clan warriors surely would not show. They didn't often lose cats to the warriors, but they had never seen them again when they did. She turned away, unwilling to let herself consider that she may never see Adora again.

Lonnie walked with her in silence, catching up with Kyle and Rogelio and beginning the trek back to the Fright Zone. No one spoke as the leaves turned to pine needles under their paws, and the sun rose higher in the sky. The walk back was solemn, nobody wanting to address the obvious. They would have to inform Shadow Weaver of Adora's disappearance.

Shadow Weaver would tear apart the entire forest to find Adora, even if it meant destroying the clans singlehandedly. Catra would not be far behind.

The entrance to the Horde camp came into view ahead, and Catra took a deep breath before ducking underneath the bramble thicket. Shadow Weaver caught sight of them from where she paced back and forth in the clearing, tail lashing back forth furiously, eyes alight with fury. She stalked towards them, raw pink scars stretched harshly over the twisted lines of her face, lips pulled back over her teeth in a snarl.

"What happened!" She demanded, her voice tight and steeled like ice. Her eyes fell on each of them, before her cold gaze fell back on Catra, her voice straining with barely restrained anger. "Where is Adora? And don't," her voice dropped in a low, threatening tone, "give me your pathetic excuses. You were supposed to be back before Sunrise, and here you are, strolling into camp at almost Sunhigh, _with your patrol leader not with you."_

Steeling herself, Catra's gaze flickered between the rest of the patrol. They looked worried, and rightfully so. They each knew, intimately, of Shadow Weaver's disdain for Catra. Most did.

"We got... separated," she began hesitantly. She hadn't prepared her explanation, she'd been so panicked about Adora's disappearance that she couldn't think of anything else. Now that she was face to face with Shadow Weaver, she realised she couldn't tell her that Adora had just... zoned out and disappeared. No. she had to come up with something else. If they got her back - _when_ they got Adora back, she didn't want to think of what Shadow Weaver would do to her if she knew Adora had just... wandered off in some strange trance. She couldn't tell Shadow Weaver the truth. She had to keep Adora safe.

"We were too busy keeping an eye out for clan cats that we forgot to keep an eye on our own patrol. We got separated so we all headed back to the Thunderpath. We waited till sunrise but Adora never showed. We couldn't stay any longer, otherwise, the Dawn patrol would have discovered us and none of us would have returned."

Shadow Weaver's fur bristled and she stepped forward until their noses almost touched, "so you mean to tell me," she seethed, "that you are so incompetent, you could not even see through _one_ mission without getting your patrol leader taken prisoner. This is your fault, Catra. Fix it. Or you will face the consequences."

"Yes, Shadow Weaver." Catra dropped her gaze, but her words dripped with venom as she glared holes into the pine needles beneath her paws, rage simmering beneath her fur. It wasn't her fault Adora was captured. It wasn't. She tried, pointlessly to convince herself. She was tired. Tired of Shadow Weaver constantly blaming her and treating her like she was the cause of everything that went wrong. Because she wasn't. Catra was tired, so tired of being treated like nothing more than an inconvenience, despite her being the best trained they had, second only to Adora.

She took no notice as Shadow Weaver stalked away, too lost in her own thoughts. Thoughts of Adora, of the Horde, of... thoughts of what could have been. Many nights were spent with Catra creeping into Adora's nest, trading whispers until the irritated voice of one of their denmates told them to _shut up and go to sleep_. Adora would glance at her then, eyes twinkling with mirth and something else Catra could never quite place. They would stumble from the den the next morning, bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived, not caring how poorly they would perform in training.

But that no longer mattered, did it? Because Adora was gone. Memories were all she had left. What use were they? Mockeries, reminding her of what they used to be and what they would never have again.

Catra didn't indulge herself in fantasies. Adora was gone. She could allow herself to dream of Adora's return; of some daring rescue mission where she swooped in and rescued her from the clutches of the enemy- but that wasn't going to happen. She could hope, dream and even beg for Adora to return to them- to _her_ \- safe and sound with nothing but ruffled fur and a dramatic story they could relay to the tenderfoots around the fresh-kill pile. Until reality struck and forced her to face the harsh truths. Wishing wouldn't bring Adora back. Nothing would.

Shadow Weaver could strut around camp and act like she controlled everything. She could bark orders and punish the tenderfoots like she was the one in charge. Catra knew the truth. Shadow Weaver answered to Hordak, and Hordak didn't care about some inconsequential Patrol leader that went missing on a scouting mission. He would never send a patrol out to look for one insignificant patrol leader.

Catra made her way back towards the den, suddenly exhausted. Shouldering past the brambles, a couple snagged on her fur as she entered the den. She padded towards her nest before stopping, considering, and then walking to Adora's nest instead. She collapsed into the soft moss, Adora's scent still lingering, mingling with her own. Nestling deeper into the confines of the nest, Catra inhaled deeply. Before she knew it, her eyes were slipping shut as she was dragged into the dark depths of sleep.

Catra dreamed. She dreamed of Adora, her comforting scent of pine needles and damp moss and the mischievous glint in her eyes that only Catra was ever privy to. She dreamt of running, so fast her paws skimmed across the forest floor, the trees blurring together at the edge of her vision. She tossed and turned restlessly, unconsciously unsheathing he claws, digging them into the pliant moss of Adora's nest.

She jolted awake, Adora's name on her lips. Adora's nest was in shreds, moss fibres scattered around her, evidence of her fitful sleep. The sun had long since set, the moon peeking through the brambles, illuminating the pitch dark of the den. The camp was silent, the only sound around her being the soft sniffling of her denmates, shifting around in their sleep. Catra stood from her position, burrowed deep in Adora's nest, already knowing there was no more sleep to be had that night.

Slipping out into the clearing, Catra couldn't keep Adora out of her mind. They had always known this was a possibility, that one day one of them might not return. But it wasn't supposed to be so soon. They were supposed to have more time, more of each other, more training together and playfighting with new moves they had learned and _Adora wasn't supposed to leave her yet._

Catra wouldn't let her.

She kept to the shadows, skirting the edge of the clearing, towards the camp's exit. The devious glance she threw towards the star-speckled sky was unnecessary. She knew the guard shifts by heart, knew that after Moonhigh Octavia and Nyx were on duty, but more often than not their shifts were spent tussling in a small copse of trees near the exit tunnel that they used as a makeshift training area. Although, Catra wasn't entirely convinced they used it as a training area. Regardless, it meant the camp was currently left unguarded. Not just from cats attempting to sneak in, but from anyone attempting to sneak out, either. Luckily for Catra. Because she wasn't about to sit around and wallow in Adora's nest while Shadow Weaver made useless attempts to convince Hordak to send out a rescue patrol. If there was any chance at Adora being rescued, it would be up to Catra.

Catra was going to find Adora. She was going to bring her back. No matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> catra, lying to herself: i dont indulge myself in fantasies >:(   
> also catra: *destroys reality and creates an alternate universe where her and adora can be together again*


End file.
